China has asked North Korea to ensure safety for its diplomats amid rising tension on the Korean peninsula.
“China is gravely concerned about the growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry has declared in a statement.
“The Chinese government has asked the DPRK side to earnestly protect the safety of Chinese missions in the country in accordance with international law and international norms such as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” the statement says.
A crisis is escalating after Pyongyang threatened to wage nuclear war on the US and South Korea. Tensions began to rise after international sanctions were imposed on North Korea in response to a long-range rocket launch in December, which world powers condemned as a ballistic missile test. North Korea responded by carrying out a third nuclear test in February, which was followed by more sanctions.
On Friday, North Korea asked foreign embassies based in Pyongyang to consider evacuating staff.